Family
by z3ro cool
Summary: After being laid off, Reno returns to Edge to look for work but ends up finding something entirely different. Reno/Tifa in later chapters.
1. Chapter 1: Lonesome

**Family**

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**Author's Note:** I started playing Crisis Core on my new PSP, and then watched Advent Children, so I've got quite a few ideas floating around. This one is a post-AC piece, centered on Reno and Tifa as their paths cross in the aftermath of AC. The entire story will be told from Reno's point of view. If it's well-received, I'll do it over again from Tifa's.

**Disclaimer:** The Final Fantasy series and all of its associated content are property of Square Enix. I am making no profit from this whatsoever.

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**Chapter One – Lonesome**

Edge is dismal when it rains. The cracks in the stone streets fill with muddy water that splashes up onto my pant legs and dirties my suit. Completely dismal, but hey, so's the rest of my life lately. I guess it fits. I walked through the streets, listening to the rain. It was late and there weren't many other people wandering about. As I turned the corner I saw my destination. The lights were on inside, but that didn't mean it was open for business. I crossed the street behind a car and walked up the steps to the door.

The knob surprisingly turned and I walked into the main room, a bar. There were no patrons or bartenders. I cleared my throat once, in hopes that I might rouse someone who could make me a drink. But nothing. After hanging my soaked coat on the hook behind the door, I walked a little further into the room and took a seat at the bar. "Excuse me," I yelled, to no one in particular. I heard a chair slide across the floor from a back room, and footsteps headed in my direction. And there she is.

She emerged from the archway that led down the hall, head cocked to the side with interest. Upon seeing me here, she smiled. "Sorry, we're closed," she said as she crossed the room. I didn't stand up. She started mixing up a drink, and then passed it to me across the dark wood of the bar. Her voice was quieter now. "How are you?"

I closed my eyes at first and took a sip of my drink. It was such a simple question, but at that moment I didn't have an answer. How was I? I was hungry. I was soaking wet. I was unemployed. I was without purpose. And for the first time in my adult life, I was completely alone. "Been better," I replied.

She nodded. "I think we all have," she said as she poured herself a drink. She pulled a stool out from under the bar and sat in front of me, leaning on her elbows. "I thought you were still in Mideel with Rufus. Didn't know you were back in town."

I snorted and shook my head. "Rufus is going through a bit of an independent streak. Says he's going to have to learn to get around by himself, told me and Rude to take an indefinite amount of leave. So here I am. Never thought I'd get laid off."

"Well, at least it's for a good reason, right? He should start learning to do things without help, you and Rude won't be around forever," she replied. That's Tifa for you, always looking on the bright side of things. We sat in a comfortable silence for a while, and I listened to the rain pounding against the roof. Somewhere in the building, I heard the soft pitter-patter of a leak. She cleared her throat, and I snapped back to the moment. "So, what brings you back to Edge?"

"I was hoping to talk to the man of the house about helping out with his courier service," I said calmly. "Rufus is paying me about half of what I used to make, which is enough to get an apartment, but not much else. If Cloud has any extra work, or if he's looking to take on more, I really need a new gig."

She smiled sadly, and I felt as though I was headed straight down the road to rejection. "Cloud's gone. He got really restless after things calmed down, and headed out to Corel to help with the new mining project. But that was months ago – he's not coming back. If you want, you can pick up the whole thing. The pay might not be what you're used to. But it'll cover the expense of the transport with some left over for food and your bar tab."

I dropped some gil on the counter – much more than the cost of my drink – and stood up to leave. "Sounds good, I'll be back in the morning to get started. He kept an address book of contacts, right?"

"Yep, it's in the back. I'll make some calls later tonight and see if I can line anything up for the next few days if you'd like," she replied. She's smiling again, and she looked happier.

I smiled back in return – a genuine smile, not a smirk like she was used to. "Thanks, Tifa," I said as I turned to walk out the door and into the cold, rainy night. I heard her barstool scrape across the floor.

"You know, there's an extra room here if you want to stay. There aren't any inns nearby, and it's absolutely horrid outside. Stay for the night, work in the morning, then go apartment hunting," Tifa said as she crossed the room to where I stood. Her eyes were soft and lonely looking. I hadn't thought about how hard it must have been for her, without Cloud around. I mulled the idea over in my head for a moment before deciding. Then I nodded and collected my coat from the hook behind the door.

"Sounds good."

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**Author's Note: ** Just a start. Reno's a hard character to write, because he spends so much time being smarmy that you rarely get to hear how he really feels, so this is an attempt at bringing that out. This is going to be a five chapter story, with an epilogue. Please review if you finished reading.


	2. Chapter 2: Living

**Family**

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**Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews and thoughts sent straight to my inbox. I just wanted to take the time to say that this story doesn't have an in depth plot – what I'm attempting to do with it is present a realistic flow of events in which Tifa and Reno would become romantically involved, given both of their pasts and personality characteristics. So, if you're looking for an intricate plot that flows around some mystical villain that wants to end the world, you might want to click a different story.

**Disclaimer:** The Final Fantasy series and all of its associated content are property of Square Enix. I am making no profit from this whatsoever.

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**Chapter Two – Living**

Life in Edge was different when you were a normal working stiff. As a Turk, I was used to constant movement and action. I couldn't remember a time as a Turk when I had had a real day off, let alone several in a row. The last week as an average citizen had been glorified busy work. I couldn't say that I minded though. It's been nice to kick back and just go with the flow.

So far, I had gone through every contact Cloud had in his address book and let them know that the courier service was back up and running. I'd even gotten a few takers for business later in the week. Yesterday I went through my own address book and let all of my contacts know about this new business venture.

Tseng and Elena were thoroughly amused. Not so much that I was running a courier service, but more so that I was living Cloud's life. Or what was supposed to be Cloud's life. Though I'd only been here for a few days, I couldn't see why the guy would up and leave. The work seemed steady enough, and the bar was in a good location. Living with kids wasn't as bad as I thought it would have been either.

I took the boy, Denzel, out with me when I went apartment hunting. He's a quiet kid, but he laughed at my jokes. The girl, Marlene, still seems to hold a bit of a grudge from two years ago. I think she only remembered me because of my hair. Anyway, I didn't see any apartments that I liked. Everything was either too much in space, or too much in rent. For now, I'm content with sleeping on the twin bed in the backroom of the bar.

Speaking of sleeping, I was pretty sure Tifa never did much of it. For the last two days, I hadn't seen the girl lay down once. She was always awake when I got up around ten. During the day she did chores and errands to make sure everything was ready for opening time at the bar, and then she was awake until long after the bar closed. She goes upstairs to be close to the kids when I go to bed, but I don't think she sleeps while she's up there.

It became a sort of tradition for us to share a drink together after the bar closed and we'd cleaned up. I'd been helping around the bar, since I had been living here for free for the last few days. It was just light work – cleaning glasses and unloading boxes from delivery trucks. Tonight was no different. Tifa sat the last shot glass down in the holder at the edge of the bar and rested her cleaning rag on the counter. I finished wiping down the last table and looked over at her. She smiled, holding up a bottle of rum. I bolted the door and crossed the room to take a seat.

"I could get used to living in a bar, yo," I said with a light laugh, as I took a sip of the drink she handed me. It was the truth – the only thing in my life that had ever cost me any real amount of money was alcohol. Since I had been here, I'd gotten pleasantly buzzed every night before bed, usually off only two or three drinks that I didn't have to pay for. I liked this set up.

Tifa sat across the bar, smiling. "You can stay as long as you want. I like having another adult around. It got lonely around here when Barret left. It was even worse when Cloud decided to leave."

She didn't look so happy anymore. The corner of her mouth had turned up in a sad, rueful smile. I sat my glass down to pour some more rum into it. "Why did Cloud decide to leave? I know I've only been here a few days, but from what I can see, the guy had it made."

"I wasn't what he was looking for. We weren't what he was looking for," she said softly, her eyes focused on the dark wood of the bar. "He'd rather chase after a memory."

Sadness wasn't something I was used to. In my line of work, I was more familiar with anger and hatred. I wasn't comfortable with sadness, because I didn't know how to fix it. I could fix anger, rage, frustration, and hate. But sadness? That wasn't my cup of tea. I reached a hand out, slowly, and rested it on top of hers where it lay on the bar. Her eyes rose to meet mine.

"He's a huge idiot," I replied solidly. I stroked my thumb across the back of her hand, attempting to abate whatever sad thoughts were going through her mind. "You're an amazing person and he'd be the luckiest man alive to be here with you. Don't ever think otherwise."

She held my gaze for a few seconds before I stood up to retire for the night. She stood shortly after I did, and clicked off the lights to the bar. As she started heading up the stairs, she stopped. "Goodnight, Reno."


	3. Chapter 3: Livid

**Family**

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**Author's Note**: As always, thanks for the reviews and e-mails. Remember to add this to your favorites list to get e-mails when I update.

**Disclaimer**: The Final Fantasy series and all of its associated content are property of Square Enix. I am making no profit from this whatsoever.

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**Chapter Three – Livid**

It's been three weeks since I showed up on Tifa's doorstep looking for work. Though I did make an honest attempt at finding a reasonably priced apartment in a good part of town, I couldn't settle on any of them. I'm not really concerned about it either. It's almost an unspoken agreement that Tifa and I have – the backroom of the bar is now my delivery service's office, and my bedroom. As long as I keep it clean, she's got no complaints.

The kids have warmed up to me too. A few days ago while Tifa was out running errands before the bar opened, Marlene came and asked if I would watch her jump rope in the backyard. Of course, I obliged.

What's starting to worry me is how natural this all feels. I've spent most of my life doing horrible things to people just because someone else paid me to. And now here I am, living like an honest man for the first time in my life. I've been wondering a lot lately what it all could have been like if I had discovered these things a little sooner.

I told Tifa this the other night, as we had our nightly drink before sleep. All she could do was shake her head. "You'd never appreciate how good this is if you hadn't lived the way you did before," she said as she poured us another round. She was probably right.

It was about that time again. The bar was closing. Tifa just called a cab for the last drunk, and sent him on his way to the curb to wait. I bolted the door and started wiping down tables and stacking chairs. She was behind the bar, cleaning glasses and taking a quick inventory of what she needed to order in the morning. We went through this routine in a comfortable silence. Since leaving Rufus in Mideel, I had lost the need to fill silences with jokes. It didn't seem as deafening anymore.

There was a loud knock at the door, which snapped me out of my reverie. Tifa stared at it before yelling out, "We're closed! Come back tomorrow night."

"But I heard this was the best place in town for a man to get a drink!" Yelled a familiar voice from the other side of the door - Barret. I hurried over and unbolted the door, opening it quickly. The large man stood there, puzzled, and then pushed himself inside. "Tifa! This Shinra fool drive all your other business out?"

Tifa smiled and shook her head, clearly amused. "No, Barret. He's helping me clean up. Can I get you a drink?"

Tonight, the three of us took our drinks at a table instead of the bar. I stayed quiet, letting Barret tell his stories about the new mines in Corel and how excited he was for Marlene to come visit in another month. Every now and then I caught him leering at me out of the corner of his eye when Tifa wasn't looking. After a while, I felt as though I was intruding on what was supposed to be their moment. I stood up, tipped my glass to Tifa and nodded my head at Barret. "I'll let you two kids stay up and finish talking. I've got a couple deliveries to make tomorrow, so I'm off to bed, yo."

Tifa nodded and gave me a small smile. Barret nodded his head grudgingly. "Yeah, see you in the morning."

I walked down the darkened hallway to my room, and decided to leave the door open to hear the rest of their conversation. Barret was apparently never taught how to whisper in How To Be A Terrorist 101.

"You wanna tell me what the hell you got a Turk stayin' up in this house for?" Barret asked as soon as he thought I was out of earshot. He drummed his fingers impatiently on the tabletop.

Tifa was silent for a few minutes, and for a moment I thought she was whispering so that I wouldn't hear her. But then she spoke up. "Cloud left us with no explanation, with no time frame as to when he'd be back. Reno got fired, and came to ask Cloud for some work. It all just sort of happened."

Barret wasn't having it. He pounded his heavy fist on the table. "The hell do you mean 'it all just sort of happened'? When were you gonna tell me that he was here? He's the worst one of them all, Tifa!"

"Barret," Tifa started, her voice suddenly startlingly cold. The sound of it took me back to two years ago, and the way she used to speak to me. It was a far cry from the way she spoke to me now. "Do you think for a second that I would have let him stay here if I thought he was a danger to me or those kids? What kind of person do you think I am?"

"Whoa, whoa, I didn't mean it like that. I'm just sayin', the man has a history that precedes him – a history that you need to consider before you just let him share your home," Barret concluded. I had half a mind to get up and remind him just what kind of history I had. But perhaps he was right. If I had had children and a man like me shacked up with their mother, how would I feel?

But Tifa clearly disagreed. She let out a heavy sigh. "You need to trust me. We've all done some things in the past that we can't be proud of. He's turning over a new leaf, and I'm going to give him that chance. He's been nothing but help since he first walked in – and your daughter positively adores him. The kids need some sort of father figure, now that Cloud's gone. I can't be their mother and their father."

Now it was Barret's turn to be silent. I lied in my bed, grinning smugly at the ceiling. Barret choose to speak up again. "Is there something going on with you two? I know things with you and Cloud didn't work out like I thought it would, but that's no reason to be sleepin' with a Turk."

"Barret!" Tifa exclaimed. "I'm not going to answer that question. I've said as much as I'm going to say on the subject of Reno. Now, I'm going to sleep, in my own bed. Go downstairs and grab the couch if you're staying."

I listened closely as Barret trudged down the stairs and Tifa finished cleaning the bar. Minutes later, I saw the light click off down the hall and her slender figure mounting the stairs. She looked down the hall towards my room and held my gaze, even in the dark. She waved, and mouthed 'goodnight' before heading upstairs.

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In the morning, I was on my best behavior. I made sure the kids were up and presentable, and I made a show out of cooking them breakfast. Tifa sat at the bar, knowing exactly what I was trying to do. As Barret walked into the room, he let out a hearty laugh.

"Look at you, Chef Reno, gettin' all domesticated. That's real cute," he said. Marlene let out a squeal.

"Papa!" She yelled. In an instant, the little girl had crossed the room and was being swung around in a circle in Barret's arms. "Did you come to eat breakfast with us?"

"I most certainly did!" Barret said with enthusiasm. He sat Marlene down at the table before turning to me. "Fix me up a plate of that, Chef Reno."

Breakfast went off without a hitch. The kids went out back to play afterwards, and Tifa and I began to clean up the dishes. Barret stood, hovering near the door.

"Leaving so soon?" Tifa asked. She set down the bowl she was holding and leaned against the bar.

Barret nodded. "Afraid so. I was hopin' to catch the kids up last night, but I got delayed. I need to head back to the mines before the days over. I'm gonna have to leave now."

Tifa sighed. "I wish you could stay longer. We miss you."

"I know, I know. I'll see if I can take a few extra days off before or after Marlene comes to visit. I'll come stay with ya'll for a few days," he replied. Tifa exited the bar, on her way to grab the kids to say their goodbyes.

The silence was horrible, and much different than the comfortable silences that Tifa and I shared. He didn't know that I heard everything he said last night, and I didn't want him to think I was eavesdropping. "Barret—"

"No, hold up. You and I need to have words before I leave," Barret said, walking up to the bar. "I hear you're a different man now, and you been doin' a lot of good things around here. But I need you to promise me somethin' if I'm gonna be okay with this little arrangement."

"Sure, whatever," I replied. "What is it?"

Barret nodded and looked at the floor before looking back up at me. "Promise me you're gonna take care of Tifa. She don't need another man around that's just gonna run out on her when things get to be too much. If you wanna live here and be here, you need to take care of that girl."

I reached out my hand, knowing full well that he could easily crush it if he was so inclined. "You got it, yo."

He grabbed my hand, squeezed, and we shook on it. Just as quickly as he had approached me, he crossed the room. Marlene and Denzel arrived to say their goodbyes, and then Barret was gone.


	4. Chapter 4: Loving

**Family

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**Author's Note**: Thanks for everyone following the story! I hope you're pleased with the way things are going.

**Disclaimer**: The Final Fantasy Series and all of its associated content are property of Square Enix. I am making no profit from this whatsoever.

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**Chapter Four – Loving**

Since Barret's visit, I had fallen into a healthy routine. I woke up around ten, had a quiet breakfast with Tifa, went out to pick up any deliveries I needed to make, made the local deliveries, called Cid about the non-local ones, came home, took a quick nap, grabbed a bite to eat, and then I kept the kids busy until bed time. After that I went to laze about the bar until closing time. It was different not having to think about who I'd have to hurt today, because I didn't have to do that anymore. It was a welcome change.

Around closing time, the usual patrons got the hint and shuffled out into the night without any prompting. There's almost always at least one poor fella who had a little too much and needed a cab ride home. Tonight was no different. The guy next to me at the bar slid off his stool and patted me on the shoulder. "See ya tomorrow, Reno."

I nodded and swirled the untouched drink in my glass. I don't drink until the end of the night anymore. "See ya."

Most people who came in didn't know, and didn't want to ask what exactly I was doing here. For the most part, no one minded that I was here, or they had never said that they did. While they all remembered the old Reno and the things I had done in the past for Shinra, they also remembered me trying to save their kids from Kadaj's gang. But like Barret said, I've got a history that precedes me. Whenever someone had too much to drink and got a little mouthy, many of the patrons' eyes fell on the extendable electric baton clipped on my belt. It had never come out here, but it still hung there, as a reminder to anyone that might want to disturb the peace that I had found.

Tifa called out for the last round, and many customers started making their way to the bar for one last drink before heading out into the night. Most of the chatter had died down, and people were starting to head out the door. I took my first sip of the night and sat my drink down on the counter. Tifa smiled at me from where she stood, pouring a drink.

"It's a good thing you don't pay for your drinks anymore," she said. "I just wouldn't make any profit off you, the way you are now."

I took it as a compliment. Unlike the old Reno, I preferred to drink after the bar was closed, when it was just the two of us. I had grown to feel surprisingly protective of the bar, the kids, and Tifa in the short time that I had been here. I didn't want to be too drunk to take care of them.

Another regular customer brought his glass up to the counter to drop off, instead of making me pick it up later on. He was a nice guy, but I couldn't remember his name. "Have a good night you two."

The bar was mostly empty now. There were only three other customers left, nursing their drinks before they headed out into the cold. I hadn't realized how cold Edge was before. It's only October, but the air outside at night had grown colder every night. It was only a matter of time before it started snowing. I can't say that I missed the snow. The last time I had seen it was at the Northern Cave when Kadaj's gang had captured Tseng and Elena. I didn't like thinking about it.

Tifa was wiping down shot glasses in front of me, her eyes on the bar. Her hair was getting long. It looked good. She looked good. I'd be a liar if I said I didn't find her attractive. But then, who didn't? I must have been staring, because she reached out and playfully slapped me on the shoulder with her cleaning rag. She smiled and ducked to grab something from under the counter when I felt something hard pressed into my back.

"I want all the gil in the cash box," a deep voice said. Some new customer, a guy who had only ordered a single drink the whole night and sat in the corner. I shifted my weight to one side of the stool.

"Let's not get crazy here," I said calmly. Tifa had stood up from under the counter. "You don't need this money as bad as you think you do."

From the look on her face, she was frightened. He did have me in quite the compromising position. But she was used to fighting unarmed using straightforward tactics. I, on the other hand, was not. And no one holds a gun to a Turk and lives to tell about it.

He grunted behind me and cocked the gun, which was when I chose to move. I swung my weight to the opposite side of the stool once more, and unhooked my baton at the same time. It was extended, electrified, and held to the punk's neck before he had a chance to get off any shots. The gun had been knocked out of his hand and had slid across the floor. His eyes were wide and his breathing was haggard.

"I-I..." he stammered. His face was turning paler by the second.

"You, you, what? Made the worst mistake of your life?" I prompted. He nodded fiercely.

"I'm sorry, I'll go. I'll never do it again, just let me walk out and you'll never see me again," he said, inching backwards.

But I wasn't having it. I pushed the button under my finger and sent a jolt of electricity through the baton, not touching him. He let out a howl. "You're not sorry," I said as I inched closer to him, continuing to send electric currents through the rod. "But you will be. And no one, including me, will ever see you again."

With that, I slammed the rod against his neck, hard. The dial of the rod was turned on high – a setting I've only used a handful of times in my career. He fell back onto the floor, making feeble attempts to cover himself and crawl backwards all at once.

I smacked him again, this time in the legs. He was pitiful. Realizing that he couldn't escape in his current condition, he curled himself into a tight, whimpering ball. I sent another current through the rod. Tears were streaming down his face. I tapped him a few more times with the rod after turning the setting down to medium. Once I was satisfied, I picked his body up, carried him across the room, and tossed him out into the street.

"You come back here again, you're dead," I called out after him. Hopefully some passerby would be nice enough to call him an ambulance. I certainly wasn't.

I collapsed the baton and bolted the door. I had been so absorbed in thought that I hadn't noticed he was the last customer in the bar and that he was walking up on me. I looked over at Tifa from across the room. She was shaking slightly. I crossed the room and went behind the bar.

She turned to face me and her eyes spoke volumes. Fear, relief, more fear, uncertainty – it was all there. I took a step forward and opened my arms for her. At that moment, she burst into tears and fell against me, sobbing. I closed my arms around her, like I had seen her do for the kids countless times when they got hurt and started crying. I ran one hand over her back, the other through her hair, holding her to me.

"The kids are upstairs. What if--"

"Don't think about that," I murmured against the top of her head, cutting her off. "He's gone, you're safe. The kids are safe. Everything's okay."

We stood that way for a few minutes, until she had run out of tears. She rested against me for a moment, wiping her tears away with my shirt. She pulled back and looked at me, her eyes completely different, almost back to normal. They were soft again, almost loving.

I reached my hands up and cupped her face, looking her in the eyes. "I'm not going to let anything like that happen ever again, okay? As long as I'm around, you got nothing to worry about."

Instead of a nod or a smile like I was expecting, she leaned in and kissed me. Her lips were soft and she tasted sweet. I deepened the kiss, pressing my tongue against hers. Her hands found their way to my hair.

The kiss ended a few minutes later. My hands rested against her hips, and hers were up around my neck. I leaned down slightly so my forehead rested against hers. "I'll sleep with my door open tonight in case he decides to come back. Okay?"

She nodded, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. I kissed her forehead gently, just once, before walking her over to the foot of the stairs. "Go get some sleep. I'll finish cleaning up."

Tifa started to walk up the stairs, then stopped. She didn't turn around, but turned her head slightly to speak. "Reno," she started. "Could you stay with me tonight?"

"Yes."


	5. Chapter 5: Leaving

**Family

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**Author's Note**: This is the last official chapter. I am writing a version from Tifa's POV, since I think that would be interesting. I'm having a lot of trouble wrapping up the epilogue, so expect that to get posted either during or after the Tifa piece goes up.

**Disclaimer**: The Final Fantasy Series and all of its associated content are property of Square Enix. I am making no profit from this whatsoever.

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**Chapter Five – Leaving**

I didn't sleep at all that night. She had sat on the stairs as I cleaned the bar, and then I took her upstairs to bed. I didn't bother changing out of my clothes from today. Once we got in bed, she had curled against me, resting her head against my chest. We talked for a while before she fell asleep, about anything and everything that came to mind. We talked about where we were from, our parents, the events of two years ago. Throughout the night, I kept holding her. I had never really slept with someone like this before. I had never shared a bed with someone for purposes other than, well, you know.

She was peaceful in her sleep. She didn't roll around or throw her covers off the way I did. The slight sadness that was evident on her face during the day disappeared when she slept, and she looked completely at ease. I couldn't let myself fall asleep, feeling guilty for letting the events of last night occur. Barret had told me to take care of her, and what happens? We both nearly get robbed and killed. I guess I'll just have to stick around and make it up to her. I brushed a strand of hair out of her face and pressed a kiss to her forehead. Then my phone started to vibrate.

I had lost track of time somewhere in the night, and Tifa didn't have an alarm clock. I hoped I hadn't forgotten about an early delivery. I slipped out from under her arm as quietly as I could, and covered her up again before leaving the room and looking at my phone. Eight thirty in the morning and Rufus is calling me? It was too early for this.

As I walked downstairs, I flipped my phone open. "Your majesty, it's been too long."

"I can only imagine how horrible it must have been for you," Rufus said, with no hint of humor in his voice. "I need you to come back. I've been making real headway with the doctors here, but I need to speak to a specialist from Corel. If you could collect him and bring him here, I'll be expecting both of you in a few days time."

Everything started flashing through my mind at once, in no particular order - Rufus telling me to come back, Rufus telling me to leave, the kids, Tifa's face while she slept, last night, Barret making me promise, Tifa kissing me. I heaved a sigh. "Rufus, I can't," I said simply. It was best not to give reasons with Rufus. He would find ways to twist them against you that would make you think he was right.

And he was positively furious. "What? I've been paying you for the last month while you haven't been doing any work, and now you tell me you're not going to come when I ask?"

"That's right," I said. "I took you telling me to go as a 'you're fired', and I took the last month's pay as a severance package. You can keep whatever else you were planning to give me. I don't need it."

The other end of the phone was silent for a moment while Rufus collected himself. "I'm cutting you off. No more salary, no more healthcare, no free transport, nothing. All of your ties with Shinra are gone if you refuse this directive."

I nodded, I had expected no less. "That's fine. I've got something all your money and benefits can't buy, so this is probably for the best. I hope you get up and around soon, boss. Look me up if you're ever in Edge. See ya."

I sat there on the stairs for a moment, holding the phone and thinking about what I had just done. Everything that I had worked for my whole life was now gone. I had willingly given it up. And I didn't feel anything. I wasn't sad at the loss, nor was I happy. I was content.

I flipped the phone open once more and entered a text to Rude. 'Rufus needs help, and I quit. You might want to call him. See ya around, yo'. Rude would have understood. Well, he might be a little jealous at first, but I'm sure he would come to understand in time.

I clicked the lights off and walked back up the stairs. The door to the kids' room was open, though I had closed it last night after I put them in bed. I walked down the hall cautiously. A small hand reached out and tugged on the bottom of my shirt. Marlene. She held her finger up to her mouth, shushing me. I smiled and reached down to pick her up.

"You're up early," I said in a whisper. She had probably heard everything I had said on the phone to Rufus. I doubted she was old enough to comprehend everything I had said, but even so. I didn't think I wanted to broach the subject.

"I need some juice," she declared. "I heard you talking, so I was going to come ask you to get me some."

I smiled at her. "Were you eavesdropping, Marlene?"

She buried her little face in my neck. "No!"

I walked back down the stairs, holding her. I bounced her a little as we go behind the bar, and I put her down to pour a glass of juice. "Here you go. Drink that, then head back to bed. It's too early to get up yet."

"But you're up. You're still in your yesterday clothes too!" She exclaimed. Kid was observant.

I stooped down to talk to her. "Yep, I never went to sleep. So I'll have to go to sleep, wake up, and put on today clothes before you're allowed to get up and play," I said decidedly. Kid logic is obviously the only way to go in these situations.

Luckily, she conceded and agreed that I simply must do things in exactly that order. After she finished her juice, I carried her back upstairs and tucked her in before returning to Tifa's bedroom. I unbuttoned the top few buttons on my shirt and kicked off my shoes. Tifa rolled onto her back and her eyes blinked open to look at me.

"Hey," she said softly. "Going somewhere?"

"Nope, staying right here," I replied, crawling back into bed next to her. I draped an arm over her lithe form, and she snuck a smooth hand up under my shirt to rest against my stomach. "With my family."

* * *

**Author's Note**: So there you have it. Again, the Tifa piece will start going up, chapter by chapter before the epilogue will be complete.


End file.
